As Scotland braces itself for a series of fun fright nights and pumpkin-themed parties in the run-up to Halloween, it seems even our furry friends are getting in on the act.
Pets at Home have launched a new range of costumes especially for dogs and our canine companions can now trick or treat wearing giant spider costumes, witch’s hats, pumpkins or dragon wings.
While many of us will be joining in this once-a-year fun, for some the experience of the supernatural is just an everyday part of the job.
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Yes, spare a comforting thought for the Scots employed in haunted workplaces – filled with everything from ghosts to gremlins to ghouls.
Of course, these roles are also immensely attractive to those more thrilled than chilled by the prospect of meeting things that go bump in the night.
And that’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the most haunted workplaces in Scotland.
There’s nowhere where you’re more likely to be spooked than in Glasgow. Although there are offices, hotels and pubs with notoriously shady shenanigans, it’s the dead centre of town that attracts most attention.
The Necropolis – also know as The City of the Dead – is an interdenominational graveyard that sprawls over 37 acres high above the city.
As well as sightings of a white lady floating among the Victorian tombs and headstones, in the 1950s there was a terrifying tale told of a ravenous vampire with iron teeth.
As well as the landscapers and volunteers who still tend to and safeguard these grounds, there are also knowledgeable guides who brave the hilly horror show to shepherd visitors safely on regular organised and bespoke tours.
Moving from an end-of-life workplace right back to the start is Scotland Street School.
Now a popular Glasgow museum, this building was designed by none other than Charles Rennie Mackintosh and constructed between 1903 and 1906 for the edification of young minds.
Voices, eerie laughter and footsteps are nothing compared to today’s regular sightings of ghostly figures in the former school.
Thankfully, the scariest event today’s teachers and classroom assistants across Scotland must face is the much-anticipated parents’ evening!
Of course, Scotland’s popular culture is imbued with ghostly goings-on and, ever since Rabbie Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter, over-indulgence in the water of life has been blamed as a source of many a ghost story.
It’s no shock then that Scotland’s whisky distilleries are workplaces where hauntings are almost regular – though, despite an environment full of whisky, we can assure you no drink is involved.
Take the strange case of the Glendronach and the Spanish Ghost. When this Speyside distillery imported a shipment of Oloroso sherry casks in the 1970s, a stowaway was spied escaping from one.
She was said to have been dressed in scarlet and black and wearing a full mantilla.
Since then, there have been numerous sightings of this exotic figure in various parts of the distillery, often forewarned by the rustling of her skirts.
However, with the Scottish whisky industry directly employing more than 10,000 people and supporting more than 40,000 jobs, not even a Spanish ghost can scare off candidates for this vibrant sector.
As well as its whisky, Scotland is world renowned for its ancient castles, many of which are reputed to be haunted. While most are grand and historic monuments from the distant past, one is alive and well and a working tourist attraction.
Edinburgh Castle has a veritable army of ghosts to boast of but perhaps most famous and macabre of all is its headless drummer boy.
First witnessed in 1650 before Oliver Cromwell and his English army attacked, his appearance is said to act as a warning the castle is about to be besieged.
Today the only army besieging the castle are the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come every year to tour its labyrinth of rooms, gasp at the crown jewels and attend events such as the Royal Military Tattoo.
Of course, an army of visitors needs an army of workers to provide a warm welcome, including tour guides, local hotel staff, caterers and retail employees. In fact, more than 217,000 people work in the tourism sector across Scotland, with 83 per cent in hospitality.
Finally, one workplace where apparitions are often built into the brickwork is the hospital: in this curious case the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow.
Temporary home to many patients and the workplace of countless health sector professionals, this magnificent building is also permanent home to The Grey Lady.
Through the years many doctors and nurses have reported seeing this apparition. Some have even tried to converse with her, only to see her vanish right before their very eyes.
Scotland’s workplaces really are full of the strangest surprises!
If you’d like to have your own close encounter with a brand-new career, you’ll find s1jobs is frighteningly good at matching your skills to the best roles.